let me take your pain away
by flamingosarepeopletoo
Summary: Having a soulmate was a beautiful thing. After meeting your soulmate, you could transfer any physical pain that they're experiencing to yourself. Todoroki Shouto was broken. He just never expected his soulmate to be even more broken than he was.


**welcome to that one todomomo soulmate au that no one asked for but i graciously delivered.**

 **jokes. this is mostly angst, but there is some light fluff if you squint.**

 **please enjoy! be sure to tell me what you think!**

* * *

When Shouto first heard about soulmates, he was five years old.

His mother was crying in her room at the time, small bruises speckled all over her skin, fresh from the harsh beating she had just received from her husband after trying to intervene on Shouto's most recent training session. Fuyumi was with him, rubbing small circles on his back and whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

"Shouto," she said, smiling down at him as their father's yelling got louder, "Mother's soulmate can help her, okay?"

Shouto had shuddered at the unfamiliar word, his eyes glistening with tears. He looked up at his older sister, the question at the tip of his tongue. "Fuyumi-nee, what's a soulmate?" He'd never heard of them before, and he wanted to know.

Fuyumi told him. She said that having a soulmate was a beautiful thing, and once you meet yours, they can remove the pain you experience by transferring it to themselves. She told him that their mother's soulmate didn't live near them, but whenever she was hurt, they would help her by taking away her pain and putting it onto themselves.

"And don't you dare think about contacting her, Miyuki!" Enji was yelling, his footsteps sounding throughout the bottom floor of the mansion. Shouto felt Fuyumi's hands tighten around his shoulder when their mother's cries became suddenly louder, drenching out any other sound in the house.

Shouto's mother didn't have a romantic soulmate, but rather a platonic one. They were best friends as children and grew up together in the same neighborhood. When the quirk marriage between Miyuki and Enji Todoroki was announced, she told her soulmate to leave, and that she would tell her if she needed help with anything.

Her soulmate had to shoulder his mother's pain far too often, and he knew she didn't like having to burden her friend with it.

"Fuyumi-nee?" Shouto asked, resting his head on his sister's chest and grabbing her arm tightly.

"Yes, Shouto?" Fuyumi said, softly ruffling his half-and-half hair.

"Do you have a soulmate?"

Fuyumi had smiled at him, closing her glass-covered eyes and nodding solemnly. "I do, Shouto," she whispered, bringing him in tighter to her body. "He's wonderful. I talk to him all the time, whenever I can."

Shouto was confused by this. "Does Father know about him?"

She had shaken her head. "No, Shouto. Father doesn't know, and I don't think I'll ever tell him." She looked down at the small boy still in her lap, offering him a small smile and squeezing the sides of his stomach softly. "I want you to promise me something, okay?"

"What is it?"

Fuyumi reached her frail index finger to the bottom of her eyelids, wiping away a measly tear that was threatening to escape. "When you get a chance to meet your soulmate," she started, making Shouto's eyes widen, "I want you to protect them, and I want you to let them protect you too."

"I have a soulmate?" Shouto asked, his hands shaking. It was a surreal feeling, really, knowing that there was someone out there who was able to take your pain away from you, if they were willing.

"You do, Shouto," she whispered back to him, still smiling. "Everyone has one."

"Does Father have one?"

Fuyumi halted, her teeth stretching forwards to nip at the flesh of her bottom lip.

"I'm sure he does," she finally said, her grip loosening slightly. "But I don't think Father has ever done the soulmate deed."

The soulmate deed. The act of removing one's soulmate's pain. Shouto couldn't help but agree with his sister, nodding once and curling into a ball in the comfort of her lap. She stroked his back, quietly lulling him to sleep.

Two weeks later, a pot of boiling water was thrown on Shouto's left side, and he suddenly wished he had already met his soulmate.

…

When Momo first heard about soulmates, she was eight years old.

Why did she find about them so late? Her mother thought she wasn't old enough. Why didn't she retaliate? Her mother was always right, and she was not.

"Momo, honey," Yemima Yaoyorozu said, beckoning her daughter to sit with her on the couch. Her father was sitting on the floor next to her, and Momo quickly walked up to him. She ignored her mother's daunting eyes as she placed herself in her father's lap.

"Yes, Mother?" she asked, her eyes trailing to the floor. Her mother never called her 'honey' without a reason.

She was going to get a scolding, wasn't she.

"Your mother and I want to tell you something." It was her father who spoke, startling her as she bounced on his legs. Momo caught her mother's eye, instantly quieting down and nodding sheepishly.

"What is it?" she asked.

Momo's mother smoothed out her skirt and cleared her throat, lifting her right fist daintily in front of her mouth. "We think it is finally time for you to know about the soulmate deed."

She missed her father's eyes narrow behind her.

"No, Yemima," he said, " _you_ think it's finally time. I've been wanting to tell her since she was four."

Momo blinked.

Her mother almost scoffed. "Four? She was much too young then, Riichi. Four is not old enough for a child to know about such a serious issue, and you know that."

"All the children found out when they were three or four," her father snarled, picking Momo up and placing her down besides him. He lifted himself off the floor, walking up to her. "And it isn't an issue. It's an amazing thing that we are lucky to still have in this day and age. Momo should have been exposed to it long ago."

"I beg to differ," her mother responded instantly, snapping her fingers and also getting up to face her husband. "She is our only child. I would have thought her father, out of all people, would know when it is right to protect her."

"Protect her from _what?"_ her father asked. "What if she had met her soulmate earlier? What if she had felt the connection _earlier?"_

They fought that night, the first fight in over a week. Momo was dragged into the basement later that same evening, her father hushing her silent as he sat her down on the soft carpet and began telling her about soulmates.

He told her that there were two stages of the connection. The first one was when the two soulmates would meet. Upon exchanging their first words, they would experience something that felt a lot like a quirk failure. Their powers would explode and act up, and the feeling would fade just as quickly as it would come. The second was when they would touch each other, be it hand to hand, head to head, or even a light brush of their fingers when walking past each other. After the second stage, they would be able to complete the soulmate deed.

Her parents were soulmates, but they were rather a case of them not working out. Momo knew this right off the bat, of course, but the minute after her father finished explaining everything to her, she had to ask.

"Father," she started, still deep within her own thoughts about the entire situation. "Are you and Mother soulmates?"

Her father had smiled. It was a genuine smile, laced with heartache and pain. "Yes, Momo," he said, bringing her into a tight hug. "Your mother and I are soulmates. Just because we don't always get along will not change that fact."

"Have you ever done the soulmate deed with Mother?" Momo asked, leaning into her father's embrace.

"I have. Many times, actually," he said. "Momo?"  
"Yeah?"

"When you meet your soulmate, make sure you protect them, okay? Your soulmate loves you very much, Momo. They always will."

Momo frowned, thinking over her father's words. "Do you love Mother, Father?"

"I do."

"Really?"

Her father smiled. "Yes, Momo. I love your mother. I always will."

But Momo didn't believe him. How could she have believed him.

Three months later, her parents got divorced, and Momo was introduced to a world without her father.

…

Shouto got into U.A. through recommendation, but that was expected. He excelled in his classes in junior high, and the fact that he was Endeavor's son helped. The morning before his first day, Enji had called a 'family breakfast', where for the first time in almost ten years, he sat together at the dining table with Fuyumi and Shouto.

"Your brothers called this morning," Enji said as his greeting, pulling up the seat at the head of the table. "They say that you should do your best today."

Shouto nodded, but didn't say anything back. His brothers would of course say something like that, but his father would never. He had learned this long ago. Fuyumi glanced at him, offering him a small smile. He returned it, relieved to see that his older sister was still supporting him.

"And," Enji continued, cutting into their little moment, "I expect you to use your left side today during athletic training."

There was no way Shouto was going to use his left, but there was no point in humoring his father. "No thanks," he muttered, cleaning up his plate and raising from his seat. "I'm going to be late. Thanks for breakfast."

"Shouto!" Enji roared from behind him as he grabbed his bag and slipped his shoes on. "Do not disobey me! This teenage rebellion of yours has gone on for far too long."

Shouto turned sharply to face his father, glancing towards Fuyumi to see her looking at the floor nervously. His eyes narrowed.

"And it will continue even past my teenage years," he spat, quickly turning on his heel and exiting the house, ignoring anything his father had said right afterwards.

"Shouto," a softer, more feminine voice said, catching up from behind him. Shouto cast a lone look towards the direction of his sister, who had just ran up to him. Fuyumi held her knees, looking up to give him a meek smile. "Good luck today!"

Shouto faltered, almost losing his stance and staring back at her. Her silver hair and specks of red glistened in the morning sunlight, and he almost lost himself in her warm, genuine smile. In that moment, she looked almost exactly like his mother, and he couldn't have been more thrilled.

"Thank you, Fuyumi-nee," he whispered in response, sending a small smile her way.

Fuyumi easily returned it. The two blissfully ignored Enji's raging self looking at them from the dining room, still having a perfect view of the two siblings.

"Hey," she started again, as if sensing his slight discomfort. "If you… if you meet them today…"

She trailed off, and Shouto waited patiently to make sure she wasn't going to continue.

"My soulmate?" he prompted.

From behind them, Enji's entire body erupted into bright red flames. Finally, he got out of that godforsaken chair of his and marched up to them.

"There will be no need for soulmate talk," he boomed, looking at Shouto dead in the eyes. "You do not need that kind of distraction."

Shouto didn't answer for a few moments, instead looking back at his father with a calm, unwavering stare.

"What distraction, Father?" he said, averting his gaze. "Even if it is one, you could never have experienced it."

And with that, he turned around and walked away.

…

Upon entering class 1-A, Shouto was greeted with a bright and friendly atmosphere, though he was one of the first to arrive. Besides him, there was a blonde boy with spiky hair sitting near the front, his foot resting on his desk and a scowl evident on his face. There was also a purple haired girl and another boy with blonde hair, but his was a lot longer than the first boy's and had a black streak shaped like a lightning bolt running through it.

The second boy walked up to Shouto, holding out his hand and offering a cheeky smile.

"Kaminari Denki," he greeted, and Shouto stared down at his outstretched arm. Hesitantly, he took it, gripping it firmly and giving it a shake.

"Todoroki Shouto," he said, and the boy, Kaminari, shrugged.

"Yeah, I know that," he grinned again.

"Idiot!" the girl screeched, walking over to the two of them and elbowing Kaminari roughly. "You can't just say something like that!" Then, she turned to Shouto, bowing slightly. "Jirou Kyouka. Sorry about him. He's stupid."

As Kaminari went to say something in his defense to Jirou, Shouto realized it would probably be better if he took his leave then. He offered them both polite nods, before making his way to the very back of the classroom, taking a seat on the left-hand middle.

It would be better if he tried to avoid the rest of the class and instead focus on his training. After all, he needed to hone his right side's ice perfectly as soon as possible.

He sat down, slipping his bag off of his shoulders and placing it besides him. He leaned back, allowing his chair to be pushed away from the desk and crossed his legs over each other. He folded his arms, looking down at the floor as more people filtered into the classroom, most of them instantly recognizing Shouto because of his unique hair.

He faintly heard the chair to his left screeching across the floor. Curious, Shouto tilted his head, just in time to see a girl taking the seat, slipping her things into the desk and leaning against her elbows.

She had long black hair that was pulled back into a spiky high ponytail. Her milky white skin rivaled even the right side of his hair, and her eyes were the deepest shade of onyx he had ever seen.

She cast him a look, her eyes widening slightly.

This… this was Yaoyorozu Momo. Shouto, of course, knew her name well, though he had never met her personally. Both of her parents were highly successful businesspeople, and both owned different chains of the Yaoyorozu Company, even after their divorce seven years ago. Her father was a pro hero, while her mother managed the company.

"Todoroki Shouto, right?" she said suddenly, her eyes sparkling in the dimly lit room. Upon his flabbergasted gaze, she smiled. "We know of each other, I assume?"

He swallowed, but nodded.

"Yaoyorozu," he said slowly, tasting her name on his tongue.

And just like that, his entire left side burned and his right side froze.

A thin sheet of ice covered half of him, ending just below his nose, while the other suddenly erupted into short, thick flames. Shouto held back a gasp, instead gulping audibly as everyone in the class turned to look at what was causing the commotion. He desperately tried to calm his quirk down, but his body refused to listen to him. The ice hardened. The fire rose.

He peeked his eyes open, his breath hitching when he saw Yaoyorozu struggling with a small quirk malfunction of her own. If he remembered correctly, hers was Creation. He watched, his body still not letting up, as small, random objects dropped out of the palms of her hand and the exposed skin of her legs.

" _Your quirk will do something. It'll act up,"_ Fuyumi's words came rushing into his mind as he focused all of his energy into sending warmth to his right side, and cold to his left. Yaoyorozu also seemed to be doing better now, the objects she was making were coming out in smaller piles.

When the fire and ice subsided, everyone in the room exchanged shocked glances with each other, all staring straight at Shouto and Yaoyorozu.

Shouto gulped again, and he could tell Yaoyorozu was nervous too. She played with the ends of her ponytail, before shaking her head and quickly sitting back down.

He knew she had brushed it off as a coincidence, just like that. But Shouto knew better. He knew this wasn't something ordinary. He had too much control over his quirk for his left side to suddenly explode like that. He knew what this meant.

Todoroki Shouto had just met his soulmate.

…

Lunchtime came unexpectedly, with Midoriya Izuku's fumblings towards the ash-blonde boy, Bakugou Katsuki, and Uraraka Ochako's excited welcoming chitters to Iida Tenya. When everyone entered the lunch area, it seemed like they had all dispersed in their own small little groups, and Shouto was left alone.

Perfect. This was just what he wanted. He could eat his food in peace and dwell over the disaster that happened concerning Yaoyorozu in the morning.

Speaking of Yaoyorozu…

She was currently walking up to his empty table, tray of salad in her hands and a determined look etched onto her face. Her stance was prim and proper. He was sure she was brought up to always be on alert around new people, but for some reason, when she placed her lunch down in front of him and slid into the seat opposite his own, she was hosting a small, friendly smile.

"Todoroki," she started, and he faintly noticed the lack of honorific. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." She was- _oh gosh she was holding out her hand._

He knew that if he took it, the second connection would be made. She would probably feel it, and that would mean the conclusion would finally come to her as well.

So, he politely strayed his eyes away from her outstretched palm, opting instead to poke at his own bowl of tomato soup with his spoon.

She looked mildly irritated, but that was expected.

"Yaoyorozu," he nodded, realizing it would be better to talk to her. "It's good to meet you."

"Likewise," she responded, her eyebrows furrowed. A soft, distant thrumming echoed somewhere in his chest, but Shouto chose to ignore it.

His left side was beginning to feel painfully hot.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, with Shouto not knowing what to say and Yaoyorozu placing leafy greens into her mouth using her silver fork.

The next time she spoke, her voice was filled with exasperation. Shouto knew she was getting a little bored with his constant rejection, if it could even be counted as so.

"You… that was weird, wasn't it?" she said, her tone low and almost whisper-like. Shouto's eyes darted up to meet hers, the two engaging in some kind of staring battle with each other. "I mean," she began again, "it wasn't like I did it purposely, and I don't think you did either. I believe we both have enough sense not to let out quirks out of control like that, so I'm not really sure what I was doing exactly, and I didn't really expect you to be experiencing something similar." She stopped, her eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean start rambling on you."

"It's fine," Shouto forced out.

She hummed, playing with her utensil and rolling a few sweet cherry tomatoes around in her plate.

"I wonder if it's…" She stopped, her gaze thoughtful on his own. He stared at her with his regular cold look begging not to let through and show his true emotions. When she finally shook her head, he held back his sigh of relief. "Nevermind. It's probably nothing."

He nodded, his eyelids drooping. The two of them went back to eating their respective lunches, casting lone glances in the other's direction every few minutes.

It happened quickly, and Shouto wasn't even sure _how_ it happened.

Yaoyorozu was reaching for her packet of dressing just as he was going to pick up his soup spoon. The two objects happened to be _hilariously_ close to each other, and as Shouto noticed what was about to happen, he almost laughed.

Their fingers- her middle and his thumb- brushed against each other _ever so slightly,_ the sensation of her skin on his barely registering on the pad of his hand.

It was an electric feeling, and Shouto somehow wondered if this was how that Kaminari boy felt whenever he used this quirk. A bolt of pain shot through his body, starting with his toes and ending at his ears. His throaty became suddenly clammy, and his heart started beating in his chest faster than ever before. His cheeks were surely burning red by now, and when he looked up to Yaoyorozu, he could instantly tell she felt it too.

Her eyes bore into his, and he felt another shock course through him, though this one was for an entirely different reason. Her pretty black orbs stared hypnotically in his own mismatched ones, and he immediately felt like he wanted to leave from there.

But something was pulling him closer to her. He was slowly rising from his seat, his look fixed on hers as she too stood up. They slid to the side, now dangerously close to each other. Chest to chest. Nose to nose. He wanted to die.

Her lips parted slightly, and he could suddenly feel eighteen pairs of eyes staring intently at them. The entirety of class 1-A watched in shock as they stood in front of each other, not moving a muscle.

"You're my… you're…" she stammered, her teeth chattering nervously. "I…" She suddenly stepped back, as if snapping out of whatever trance she was in. Shouto instantly felt the loss of contact, taking a step back as well and shaking his head.

The second connection was made. Shouto gulped inaudibly, realizing what this meant.

He could now take her pain away from her and put it on himself. He could release her from whatever torture she may face. He could be there for her, no matter what.

But more importantly was the fact that _she_ could take away _his_ pain.

He tched softly as their class scrambled up to the two of them, congratulating them and asking them a jumble of questions on the connection.

No. He wouldn't let her do that for him. He didn't want her to do that for him.

His lips twisted into a frown as he remembered what Enji had told him earlier in the morning.

His father was going to be _pissed._

…

Enji wanted to meet Shouto's soulmate.

Shouto said no.

…

Yemima wanted to meet Momo's soulmate.

Momo said yes.

…

"Yaoyorozu…" Todoroki began nervously, playing with the ends of his school uniform. "I don't know."

Momo raised herself from the bow she was currently standing in, her eyes narrowing in distaste. "Todoroki, please. She won't… she won't take no for an answer."

Momo pressed her lips tightly into a thin line, anxiously waiting for a response from the boy in front of her.

They were halfway through their first year at U.A., meaning Momo and Todoroki had obviously became a lot closer. After the disastrous first day when they found out about each other, Momo had taken the initiative to get to know her soulmate better. He was a little crabby about it at first, but thankfully seemed to comply as the months wore on.

She bowed low again, but this time, her ponytail fell off of her shoulders, her hair hanging with the backside of her neck exposed. She quickly gasped, straightening up. Her hands flew to her neck, covering it lest Todoroki see what was there.

But it was too late. He was looking at her with those large, unwavering eyes of his. Her heart pounded in her chest as he seemed to survey her thoroughly. She gulped, hard.

"I…"

"What is that?" Todoroki's voice was icy and his eyes narrowed in anger. He took a step closer to her. "Yaoyorozu. What is that."

"N-nothing!" Momo quickly said, shaking her free hand in front of her chest. "It's nothing, really!"

"Show me your neck."

Momo scrunched her lips together, her hand still covering the part of her skin he was so adamant on seeing. She didn't want him to know about it.

She didn't want him to know about the giant, fresh bruise that was there.

"I won't show you," she said, her voice low. "You don't need to worry about me, Todoroki."

"Yaoyorozu. Yaoyorozu, turn around."

"I will not."

" _Yaoyorozu."_

"T-Todoroki… it isn't worth it."

"Momo!"

Momo snapped her head in his direction, her hand falling from her neck in shock. She stared at him, his eyes bearing into hers. His gaze was unmoving; it was glued onto hers. She didn't move, watching as he reached his hand out and gently grabbed her elbow, pushing it down so that her fingers lifted away from her neck.

He then stepped towards her again, carefully placing his hands on the sides of her face and pulling her head into his chest, peering down at the back of her neck.

Momo couldn't breathe. He was way too close. He needed to back away before she did something she'd certainly regret later on.

"Momo…" Todoroki's voice finally came, low and breathless. "Momo, what happened to you?"

"I-I told y… you," she said when he finally let her go. "It's nothing. It isn't worth fretting over."

He glared somewhere to the side. "Who did this to you?"

Her eyes widened and her wrists froze in place, still dangling at her sides. She refused to look at him. She _couldn't_ look at him.

"I… I don't…"

"Was it your father or your mother?" He spoke like he was experienced. Like he was sure it was one of her parents.

She _hated_ this. She hated how he knew her so well. She hated how he could tell in the blink of an eye if something was wrong with her. She supposed it had something to do with the connection, but she wasn't really sure yet. The two of them hadn't really explored the topic of soulmates together, and instead opted for finding out about each other slowly.

"M-my mother," she shamefully admitted. She still couldn't even look at him. She felt completely and utterly powerless against his still hard stare. His eyes moved aimlessly around her, and she knew she couldn't do anything.

"How long has she been doing this to you?"

"It started after my parents got divorced," Momo said, finding that the answers to his questions just rolled out now. Todoroki stiffened.

"Does it…" He faltered. "Does it still hurt?"

She could only manage a meek nod of her head, feeling another painful prick on the back of her neck coming from the large purple blemish. She still couldn't bare to look at him. She wasn't sure what she would see if she did.

But then, suddenly, the pain from the mark vanished.

It happened _so quickly,_ she was unsure exactly how. What was once a burning, throbbing sensation simmered down to a faint hum, before disappearing completely. She felt tingly all over, but it was the peaceful kind. The kind that she would welcome with wide arms. The kind that somehow was able to assure her that someone, _anyone,_ was with her.

When she finally allowed herself to look up, the sight she saw wasn't completely unexpected. After all, she had figured out what was happening just a few seconds ago.

Todoroki had his eyes pinched closed, his fists curled tightly by his sides. Just as she expected, his head was vibrating. He was shaking, and his lips suddenly parted.

He tilted his head back with a snap, his teeth clenching as he screamed out loud, "Gah!"

Momo reached a hand to her neck, feeling the bruise that was still definitely there. It was painless, and she knew who now was experiencing the ache now.

Todoroki slowly opened his eyes, specks of tears in them as he offered her the tiniest glint of a smile. She knew the first time someone performed the soulmate deed, it would hurt a lot more than how it would for any other time, and the fact that he had willingly done this for her without her asking...

"You… you're so brave, Momo," he whispered, his toothless smile widening ever so slightly. "You've been feeling this all day, haven't you?"

Her gaze on him softened, a smile crinkling her lips.

"Shouto," she murmured.

His look didn't flicker, almost like he was expecting her to address him by his given name like that. They stared at each other, hearts beating, beams glistening.

"I've changed my mind," he said suddenly, moving close to her so they were eye to eye. "I want to meet your mother."

She knew the pain from the bruise was still sounding on him. She knew he was working past that. She knew he had experienced much worse than this, yet he was still doing the deed for her.

She smiled. Well so be it.

…

They took the train to the Yaoyorozu estate. Shouto held onto Momo's shoulder as they passed the different stops and stations, a dim light illuminating the almost empty train cart.

Momo had been telling him about her mother. She described her as shrewd, and that if he were to take any one step out of line, he would be eliminated on the spot.

Shouto jokingly told her that he could defend himself, but Momo wasn't having it.

"Remember," she said once they stood in front of her large house's front door. "Not one step out of line. Anything you do wrong will be judged by her." Her eyes bore into his. "I'm begging you. Don't put yourself in that situation."

Shouto nodded, reaching down to squeeze her hand gently in his. "I know. I won't."

She let out a breath, turning back to face the wooden door. "You know, I haven't actually seen my mother properly for… for a while now." Her voice was shaky, unsure.

He quirked his eyebrows at her words. "What do you mean?"

"Aside from yesterday when she…" Momo stopped to gulp. "... when she beat me." He flinched. "Aside from that, the last time I saw her was over three weeks ago."

He bit his lip. That was too much. Even with Endeavor, he would at least see his father a few times a week, if not every day at some point or the other.

"It's alright. She's just always busy with work," Momo muttered. "Or something," she added as an afterthought.

She sighed, stepping up to ring the doorbell once, walking back to where Shouto was standing and lowering her gaze to the concrete of the ground. Shouto reluctantly did the same, just as the front door clicked open.

A woman wearing a long maid's outfit answered, her eyes lighting up once she saw Momo.

"Ah. Momo-sama," she said, making Shouto's eyebrows raise. "You're home. Yemima-sama is waiting for you and your boyfriend in the living room."

If Momo realized the maid's mistake, she didn't bother correcting it, instead nodding once and tugging at Shouto and her's still intertwined hands. His ears flushed uncharacteristically as the two of them slipped off their shoes and quietly made their way to wherever Momo's mother was.

Shouto followed her till they reached the entrance of a large room. He watched as she peeked inside, her fist clenching tightly around his fingers. She took a shuddering breath in, and from where he stood, Shouto could see the now-fading bruise on the back of her neck. His teeth clenched at the thought of whoever was inside this room having this kind of effect on Momo.

"Mother," Momo said, her voice stoic. She took a step inside the room, Shouto right behind her. She bowed low, and he took the opportunity to steal a look at the woman who gave birth to his soulmate.

What he saw was nearly enough to shock him.

Yaoyorozu Yemima looked exactly like her daughter, save for the bright, threatening silver eyes that were focused enough to pierce anyone's skin cold. She was tall, even while sitting, lean, and had a certain aura around her that Shouto couldn't quite place. He gulped, his hands snapping to his sides respectfully and bowing low, mirroring Momo's stance.

He heard Yemima give a disgusted grunt.

"Raise yourselves," she said, snapping her fingers after the order.

They did, and Momo's grip on his hand was becoming tighter and tighter.

"Momo," Yemima started again, "introduce me to the boy."

Momo cleared her throat, holding up their interlocked hands for her mother to see. Yemima's eyebrows raised as she set her eyes on their hand-holding gig, and Shouto briefly wondered if she was going to be mad.

"This is Todoroki Shouto," Momo said, and Shouto was pleased to see a flash of recognition course through Yemima's eyes. "He's my soulmate."

Yemima didn't even flinch. "I see," she said, setting her hands plainly on her lap and staring at Shouto intently. He didn't waver away at her hard stare, since he knew she was taking her own sweet time to judge him thoroughly.

Of course, he was sure Yemima was familiar with the Todorokis, especially his father. If she didn't know who the number two hero was, Shouto would be mildly disappointed (if he thought about it, though, that would actually be hilariously amazing), but it seemed like the older woman did indeed do her hero research, even if she herself wasn't in that specific department when it came to work. That was more for someone like Yaoyorozu Riichi. Momo's father was in the hero field, working as a pro hero to this day on the other side of the country, and Shouto knew that.

"Have you two performed the soulmate deed?" Yemima finally asked, and Shouto could clearly hear the sharp intake of breath coming from his right side. Based on Momo's reaction, he knew that there was something wrong about the question, or that the correct answer was something Yemima wouldn't particularly like. Shouto had been brought up on his father's terms. Enji had told him that there was no need to do the soulmate deed, as putting pain on yourself was a waste of power.

That was his father's sickening ways. Shouto never bothered listening to him.

Momo and her mother were different, though. He could tell Momo held her mother in high regard, even with all the abuse she went through. Shouto didn't exactly know to what extent their relationship was till, but something told him the bruise she had gotten on her neck wasn't the biggest one.

Something burned inside him at the thought.

"W-we have," Momo stammered out, and Shouto watched closely for Yemima's reaction. The older woman's jaw went slack and the corner of her mouth twitched. He could feel Momo's grip tightening even further as she elaborated, "just once."

Yemima cleared her throat. "And who was the one to perform it?"

"Shouto was," Momo said, bending her neck to look down at the floor.

Yemima's nose crumpled and her lips jutted inwards in an obviously displeased frown. "Since when did you two become on first name terms?"

"After her performed the soulmate deed," Momo answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yemima turned to Shouto for the first time, and she looked him over. Shouto remained still under her hard, judgemental gaze, not saying a word as he knew his place.

"Todoroki-san, you are not permitted to calling my daughter by her given name," she said, her chin tilted upwards. "Momo, I don't care what you do."

The room fell silent, and Shouto had to fight the urge to punch a wall. He wasn't used to mothers treating their children so horribly. To his own mother, he was her world. His father didn't count.

In fact, Shouto primly wondered if Momo and Yemima's relationship was even worse than his and Enji's.

He wanted to speak up. He wanted to defend his soulmate. If he was in this kind of situation with his father, Momo would surely say something. He didn't want her anticipated kindness to go unpaid for.

"I don't want Todoroki-san performing the soulmate deed for you ever again," Yemima cut into his thoughts like ice, and his right side flared internally. "You cannot rely on someone to take your pain. I have not raised you like that." She paused, surveying the two again. "However, you are allowed to perform it for him. Taking the pain in a dignified way and helping someone out. That much is permitted, but nothing more."

Momo let out a choking sob.

Shouto's teeth clenched together. He had had enough. This was different. His father didn't want him to perform the deed because he thought it was wasting power. Momo's mother, though, _wanted_ her to perform the deed so she would get to experience pain that wasn't even rightfully hers.

That was repulsive.

"You want your daughter to be in pain from the soulmate act?" he finally spoke up, his eyes lifting to meet Yemima's. When he saw she hadn't moved at all, he continued, taking this as permission to keep talking. "Even I don't know what kind of sick parenting that is, and I've been subjected to a lot."

Something in Yemima's eyes flashed. She sat up straighter.

He kept going. "I don't think you understand what you're doing to Momo-"

"I told you not to call her that."

" _Momo,"_ he said her name with venom spitting in his voice, "is a very strong person. I admire her a lot for what she's done not only for me, but for everyone else in our class too." He paused, liking the way Yemima was glaring at him. "And anyway, I only did the soulmate deed because of the bruises _you_ left on her, Yaoyorozu-san."

Yemima's head snapped over to Momo, who was currently cowering back in fear. "You _idiot,"_ she spat, getting up from her seat and walking right up to her daughter. Momo flinched as Yemima grabbed her ear, about to yank it. "I told you not to tell anyone about that!"

Shouto, realizing what was about to happen, quickly lurched his right hand forward, grabbing Yemima's arm and pushing it away from Momo. Thankfully, he had enough sense not to activate his quirk, but the force was strong enough to send the woman back a few steps, and he was pleased when she turned to glare at him crudely.

"With all due respect, Yaoyorozu-san," he started again, his eyes thick with determination, "I think it would be better if you'd excuse us for the night." Shouto turned to Momo, seeing her crouching on the floor, her head in her hands. "Momo," he said, nudging her side and gently taking her hand to lift her off the ground. "Where's your room?"

Momo stared at the floor as she leaned into Shouto's firm chest, his arm carefully wrapping around her back. She sniffled slightly, beginning to walk, leading the two of them out of the living room.

Shouto spared one last fleeting glance at Yemima, who was looking away from the duo, her eyes narrowed at the floor in front of her.

He had a feeling she would be leaving them alone for a while.

…

"Momo, Momo listen to me-"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for that."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Momo. I-"

"I can't believe she did all of that in front of you."

"Momo-"

"Oh my gosh I can't do this anymore."

"Momo, you're going to be-"

"Shouto, I don't know if I can keep going like this for any longer."

Shouto stared down at his soulmate in exasperation. The two of them were safely locked in Momo's huge room, standing by the double doors. Their hands were laced together, and he was still holding her, supporting her so that she would remain standing.

Momo suddenly ripped away from his hands and held her head tightly, clenching her fingers around her forehead. She was shaking, and Shouto could easily feel the clamminess of her skin through her school uniform.

His eyebrows evened out as she sunk to the floor, her back sliding down the wall. She hugged her knees, burying her face into them as Shouto kneeled down in front of her, hoisting himself up on his legs.

"I just want my dad…" she whispered, her shoulders trembling.

It was then when Shouto wished the soulmate deed could transfer emotional pain, and not just physical pain. If it could, he would have been able to take Momo's pain for himself, and let her be happy. He didn't mind feeling like how she was in that moment. He already did when it came to his father, after all. He didn't think it was much different.

"Y-you know," Momo stammered out, peeking her eyes up and out of her knees. "I was going to go live with my father after the divorce." She let out a humorless laugh. "But my mother thought it would be better if I lived with someone who wasn't a hero and had to be out of the house all the time." She paused, playing with her fingers. "I'm glad my mother isn't a hero. I don't know what kind she would be if she was. Probably not a very good one."

Shouto lightly ran his hand over her legs, relishing in the slight shudder she released from the sudden contact.

"Your mother doesn't deserve you," he said quietly, his lips pursed. "No one deserves you. Not even me."

"Shouto…"

He looked up at her, her stained cheeks flushing from his sweet words and her mouth parting, introducing a small opening.

"Can I kiss you?" The words left his mouth before he could even think about them. He sucked in a surprised breath, watching intently as her eyes widened out of pure shock, and her hands flew to her chest.

"W-what?" she muttered, clearly surprised.

He sighed. There was no going back now. "I don't know. I'm just really in the mood to piss off your mom," he said, shrugging. "I don't mind. If you're ready, that is."

She swallowed, and he saw her throat bobbing up and down as she seemingly thought over the offer. When she let out a timid nod, he pushed himself towards her using his hands, interlocking their mouths in one smooth motion with absolutely no hesitation.

It was a sweet kiss. Chaste, almost. They didn't go any further than just the smallest hint of a peck, and Shouto was grateful for it. He didn't know if he was ready for anything more than that, but with Momo, he was sure he'd be ready to try later on, when they got to know each other even more.

Though it was a short kiss, he still cherished it. He had never once seen his parents kiss before, so he had no experience and knowledge over the subject at all. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been wanting to do this for a while now, though, even if he didn't know exactly why.

Her lips tasted of pineapple juice, and he faintly recalled her sipping at a canister of it during lunch. It was sugary, holding a certain level of warmth, mixed with her rosy cheeks lighting up her face. He gently pried his eyes open just a smidge, right before she melted into him, her arms wrapping around his torso and his hands flying upwards to stroke her hair.

Ever since he found out about Momo being his soulmate, his first question was, ' _Is it platonic, or romantic?'_

Momo tilted her head to the left, suddenly deepening their liplock. He felt her smile into his kiss, and he was more than willing to return the gesture, pushing closer.

Well, he supposed this answered his question.


End file.
